John cummings and hiram harrington



CUMMINGS & HARRINGTON.

A Thrashing Machine. No. 67,106. Patented July 23, 1867.

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JOHN CUMMINGS AND HIE-AM HARRINGTON, OF WOODSTOCK, CANADA.

LettersPafen't No. 67,106, dated July 23, 1867.

- IMPROVEMENT-IN THRESHIN MACHINES.

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TO ALL WHOM 'IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that we, JOHN CUMMINGS and I'IIRAM IIARRINGTON', of Woodstock, in the county of Oxford,-

aud Province of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Threshing Machines and Grain-Separators; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of our improved machine.

Figure 2, a. vertical longitudinal section.

Figures 3, 4, and 5 are detached views, respectively, of the crank-shaft A, pendent-board or guard B, and a fragment of the seed-screen-B. I

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Our invention consists of the parts and the various combinations and arrangements hereinafter specifically set forth, which are designed to simplify the construction and increase theefiiciency of threshing machines and grain-separators. I

In the drawings, E represents the frame of our improved machine, which may be of any suitable construction, for containing and supporting the parts; F, the threshing cylinder; and C, the straw-carrier, constructed of wooden slats or strips, j 7', fastened transversely to rigid side pieces G G, as shown. The rearportion of this carrier is preferably made to incline slightly downward, as represented at the right hand in fig. 2, so as to facilitate thepassage and discharge of the straw. The front end is supported by hangers a a, (fig. 2,) pivoted .to the sides of the frame of the machine in any suitable way which will allow the necessary longitudinal and up-and-down motion of the carrier- The rear end of the carrier is secured to the crank rock-shaft A the longitudinal side pieces G resting on the cranks, with a suitable box on the under side, as clearly shown in figs. 1 and 3, by which means the carrier'receives its motion. H H are a series of alternating. reciprocating bars, their rear ends being provided with thin metal tips I; b, which pass through mortises in the cross-piece I of the frame, 'while the forward ends are mounted in any suitable way on the zigzag crank-shaft J, as shown in fig. 1, by which an alternate reciprocating and up-and-down motion of the bars is produced. The under side of these reciprocating bars is. provided with downwardly-projecting teeth, a 0, (except at their'rear ends, where they are unnecessarygwhichengage with the straw and rake it up and back as the bars are operated. Thus arranged,- the bars H and the carrier C have a compound and mutual action which best conduces to the ready and effective separation of the grain from the straw. First, the bars H havetheir great action at the front end where the straw first enters. The teeth stir up and loosen thestraw, most efi'ectually shaking out the grain, which falls through the slatted carrier, and at the same time the straw is carried gradually backward by the longitudinal action of the teeth. Second, the carrier has its greatest action at the rear end, (or opposite to that of the bars,) the tendency of which is to throw the straw back again toward the teeth by which the stirring action is made most effective. By thus opposing the vertical motion of the bars and carrier 0. far superior effect is produced than would be if each received the same movement at the same end, or ifonly one (for instance the bars) received motion, while the other (the carrier) remained stationary. In this manner the straw is retained on the carrier so long and is subjected to so'much action that the grain is thoroughly removed. We are. aware of no case in which these opposing movements of the bars and carrier arecombined, and, indeed, we know of norie in which the combined barsand carrier all receive a movement .of any kind. 'The metal tips 6 6, while they securely hold the rear ends of the bars in place in the'cross-piece I, and guide them in their movements, have sufiicientelasticity and flexibility. to bend to keep in position, and thus swinging or pivoted guides are not required. This not only lessens the expense, but renders the action much more perfect than it could otherwise be. That position of the straw-carrier, immediately under the. crank-shaft J, is constructed with a perforated board, K, instead of the usual slats, which prevents the cranks of the shaft, as it revolves, from beating the straw through the carrier on to the shoe, an effect that would occur to a greater or less extent were the ordinary construction employed, that leaves ample space for its passage between the slats thereof. B is a pendent board screen, constructed as shown in fig. "-1, consisting of narrow boards d al with their en de fastened, by mortising or otherwise, to a horizontal rock-shaft, e, which is mounted transversely in the top of-the frame of the machine, a short distance back from the threshing cylinder. The boards 01 hang pendulous between the reciprocating bars H in such a manner asto obstruct the grain, which is thrown from the cylinder backward, causing it to taxes 2 fall 'upon the straw-carrier and thence through upon the graincarrier or conducting-board L of the shoe beneath. This board, (Z, while it thus acts to prevent the flying of the grain, does not interfere in theleastwith'the action of the bars. The shoe is of simple construction, ccnsisting of grain-carrier. or inclined board L, which extends from beneath the cylinder to near the rear end of the machine, where it terminates'imthc screen M of the peculiar construction hereafter described. The front end of the carrier L may be supported by rock-bars N,

(fig. 2,) pivoted at each end or so arranged as to allow the formerto reciprocate, while at its rear it may be sustained by hangers from theframe E, as shown at e, in dotted lines, fig. 2,01 in any other manner that will allow the shoe a longitudinal and a slight up-and-down or oscillating movement. The shoe is operated by the same rock-shaft, A, that gives motion to the straw-carrier by means of a connecting-rod, 0, jointed to an arm,

f, of the shaft, and connecting with the shoe to which it is attached, (as most clearlyshownin fig. 2.) The crank-shaft J extends beyond its hearings in the frame E, where it is provided with pulleys P R. It receives motion by a hand, m, which connects pulley P with a pulley on the cylinder axis. A pitman, Q, connects pulley P with a crank-arm, g, at the end of the rock-shaft A, by which the latter is operated. The fan T is of the ordinary construction, and has motion imparted to it by means of a band connecting the pulley S of the fanshaft with pulley R of the crank-shaft J. The inclined board h is for conducting any grain that may not be separated from .the straw till after it has passed the screen M, back' to the latter. I i is an inelinefor conducting the clean grain into the discharge-spout or hopper Z. The screen M is made of thin slats n n, arranged so that their upper edges will incline a little backwards, as represented in fig. 2. This mode of construction enables the 4 'grain to pass through with facility, while the inclination of the slats causes the chaff and pieces of straw to slide over and be more easilydischarged and less liable to obstruct the screen thanwould be the case if the slats were arranged vertically. In threshing timothy considerable diflioulty has been experienced in separating the seed, owing to its lightness, from the chaff and broken pieces of strawgas the latter is quite as heavy as the seed. To overcome this .diflieulty we have provided a wooden screen, D,(fig. 5,) of peculiar construction, which is inserted in the place of screen M. It consists of a board, with perforations 1%; n of suitable size to admit the passage of the seed, with abrupt shoulders 21 in front, and with the surface ofthe rear of each hole conntersunk or bevelled, as shown at to. This screen operates as follows: The seed being small, as it passes the forward or abrupt edge of the perforation in the direction of thearrow, fig. 5, it falls therein or on the'opposite bevelled side or recess; the inclined 'side will conduct it back to the opening, through which it escapes: The

chafi and cut pieces of straw, being longer, cannot readily fall into the perforation, and the opposite side being chamfered or bevelled does not present an abrupt barrier, but combined with the draught-from the fan and motion of the screen causes it to pass readily over the surfaco of the latter without clogging.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' e 1. The combination and arrangement of the alternating reciprocating bars H H, having also a vibratory up-and-down motion at the front end, with the straw-carrier G, having a longitudinal reciprocating motion and a vibratory up-and down motion at the rear end, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The thin elastic metal tips 6 on the rear ends of bars H, running in the c'rossguide-piece I, as described, and forthe purpose set forth.-

.3. The perforated board K under the crank-shaft J, and forming a part of the slatted carrier 0, as and for the purpose specified.

4. The pendent-screen or dividing-board B, constructed, arranged, and operating as described, employed in com-binationwith the bars H and carrier C, as set forth,

5. The construction and arrangement of the grain-carrier L, forming part of the shoe, and provided with the inclined slatted screenM at the end, as shown, in combination with the carrier 0 and reciprocating bars H H, the whole arranged and operating substantially as specified.

6. Connecting both the shoe and straw-carrier-by the rod 0, and operating them by the same rock-shaft, A, in the manner described. I I v In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. JOHN CUMMINGS,

' HIRAM HARRINGTON.

Witnessesi JAY HYATT, ALBERT. HAIGM. 

